The Son of Thunder

Chapter Twenty-Four

Above is a sketch of Beast. I admit that I'm not very happy with the likeness. Beast is ugly and welt-covered, but I would have liked to give him more depth, a better expression. He is frequently topless.

Lightening sat at a table in the Pit, the cell locked behind them. The Pit was shadowy and poorly lit. It was where he was always punished. He was dressed in his ceremonial robes, hands bound, and led to a private cell. If he screamed, well, he was just another prisoner. Beast cut the ropes from his wrists. The rope was unnecessary. Lightening never avoided punishment.

Beast tapped a whip in his hand. "What am I going to do with you? I can't strike your back. The wound would be too serious."

Lightening rolled his eyes.

Beast snapped him on the cheek with the tip of the whip. "Respect, little one. Shawna is cursing the day you were born."

Lightening averted his gaze. When Shawna struck him—white fury. He'd been attacked by criminals like that. Shawna had never been so mad at him before.

"Puny little Star Child. I don't care what your future predicts. You've always been a spoiled brat." Beast paced in front of Lightening, the whip beating in his palm in a constant rhythm. "You just couldn't keep it away from the little Priestess. Had to have your little fairy tale. Had to have your fantasy."

Beast pulled his knife out of his belt and stuck it in Lightening's chin, forcing his head up. "You still think you're better than me?"

Lightening was curious for his reprimand. So many rules were in place, Shawna had made it so that his usual beatings could not be doled out.

"Lay your hands flat on the table. Palms face down."

His pink fingers splayed long on the surface. Lightening stared forward and waited, his face as hard as the dirt and rock under his feet.

"I have a new friend for you." Beast lifted a board with holes drilled through it. "Now, count. We'll do twenty. If you behave. You know the rules."

"Yes." Lightening tightened his lip.

Beast drew the board down over Lightening's hands, the skin breaking and a spider web of blood coloring it.

"One."

Beast showed his crooked teeth in a ghastly grin. He brought the board down again, paced to the other side of the cell, then came back. "Two." No inflection pervaded Lightening's voice. His face never flinched, his eyes never blinked and his skin never crawled.

At fifteen, Lightening couldn't stop the tear that crept to the rim and burned his eye. He tried to swallow it, but the harder he tried, the faster it showed itself.

Beast ground his teeth. "Punishment must be taken as a man. Start over from one. We have fifty."

Lightening took a deep breath and pulled himself deeper into his cocoon. Beast brought the board down across his fingers. He was certain they were shattered.

"One."

Lightening didn't falter this time. He made it to fifty and he hated himself for not making it to twenty.

Beast put a bowl on the table filled to the rim with a cloudy liquid. "Rinse your hands in that, then put the wraps and your gloves on."

The tell-tale scent of lemon made him hesitate.

"If you choose to resist, we start over again."

Lightening clenched his teeth. Searing laced up his arms, through his chest and into his cheeks. He was allowed a little emotion now, but pride made him suppress the screams. Beast was too satisfied to see Lightening suffer.